Method and system of assisting a driver of a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A method of assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving a road, the method includes obtaining a feature of a road using a sensor, selecting, via a controller, a parameter based on the feature of the road, determining, via a controller, whether the vehicle is approaching a boundary of the road, and providing a feedback operation to assist the driver in avoiding the boundary of the road, the feedback operation based on the selected parameter.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a method and system ofassisting a driver of a vehicle. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to a method and system disposed in a vehicle thatprovides a feedback operation to assist a driver in avoiding a roadboundary 28 based on selected parameters.

Background Information

Conventional technology exists that assists a driver of vehicle inrecognizing the environment surrounding a vehicle. In one such system,the lane departure tendency of the vehicle is detected based on a lanedividing line or lane border and a future position of the vehicle aftera predetermined time period is calculated. If the system determines thatlane departure is imminent, the system controls the vehicle to move insuch a direction that lane departure is prevented. See e.g., JapanesePatent Unexamined Publication No. 2000-33860.

SUMMARY

It has been discovered that in driver assistance systems providingfeedback to the driver of the vehicle based on the location of thevehicle along a road, features of the road and parameters is desirable.For example, when traveling on a road (e.g., a narrow road or a busymultilane road), a driver may be uncomfortable with the distance betweenthe vehicle and the road boundary. In such situations, each individualdriver may desire a specific distance between the road boundary and thevehicle.

In view of the state of the known technology, one aspect of the presentdisclosure is to provide feedback to the driver based on the distance tothe boundary and a driver's individual skill and preference, and otherdesired parameters or factors. In one disclosed embodiment, a method ofassisting a driver of a vehicle in driving a road, the method includesobtaining a feature of a road using a sensor, selecting, via acontroller, a parameter based on the feature of the road, determining,via a controller, whether the vehicle is approaching a boundary of theroad, and providing a feedback operation to assist the driver inavoiding the boundary of the road, the feedback operation based on theselected parameter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an vehicle having a driver assistancesystem according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a vehicle having the driver assistancesystem illustrated in FIG. 1 traveling along a road;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a vehicle having the driver assistancesystem illustrated in FIG. 1 with a representation of a first calculatedthreshold distance between the vehicle and the road boundary;

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a vehicle having the driver assistancesystem illustrated in FIG. 1 with a representation of a secondcalculated threshold distance and a representation of the assist forceapplied to the vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the driver assistance systemaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the steps executed by the driverassistance system;

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the driver assistance systemwith the assist threshold varying along the road;

FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the the assist force applied to thevehicle based on the distance from the road boundary; and

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the change in gradient of the assistforce based on the distance from the boundary the maximum torque for aspecific driver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to thedrawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments areprovided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting theinvention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The disclosed embodiments are for a driver assistance system 12 thatapplies a feedback operation to a host vehicle 10 when traveling along aroad 26. It is noted that driver assistance system 12 may be used in anon-autonomous vehicle, or an autonomous vehicle, as desired. Thecontroller 14 of the driver assistance system 12 can adjust the timingand the amount and type of a feedback operation to improve drivercomfort.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a driver assistance system 12 for a hostvehicle 10 is illustrated in accordance with one embodiment. The driverassistance system 12 includes a controller 14, sensor system 16, apositioning system 18, a warning indicator 20 or system, a feedback unit22 and a haptic feedback 24.

The controller 14 preferably includes a microcomputer with a controlprogram that controls the driver assistance system 12 as discussedbelow. The controller 14 can also include other conventional componentssuch as an input interface circuit, an output interface circuit, andstorage device(s) 32 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) device and a RAM(Random Access Memory) device. The microcomputer of the controller 14 isprogrammed to control one or more of the sensor system 16, thepositioning system 18, the warning indicator 20 or system, the feedbackunit 22 and the haptic feedback 24, and to make determinations ordecisions, as discussed herein. The memory circuit stores processingresults and control programs, such as ones for the sensor system 16, thepositioning system 18, the warning indicator 20 or system, the feedbackunit 22 and the haptic feedback 24 operation that are run by theprocessor circuit. The controller 14 is operatively coupled to thesensor system 16, the positioning system 18, the warning indicator 20 orsystem, the feedback unit 22 and the haptic feedback 24 in aconventional manner, as well as other electrical systems in the vehicle10, such the turn signals, windshield wipers, lights and any othersuitable systems. Such a connection enables the controller 14 to monitorand control any of these systems as desired. The internal RAM of thecontroller 14 stores statuses of operational flags and various controldata. The internal ROM of the controller 14 stores the information forvarious operations. The controller 14 is capable of selectivelycontrolling any of the components of the detection system in accordancewith the control program. It will be apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure that the precise structure and algorithms forthe controller 14 can be any combination of hardware and software thatwill carry out the functions of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 14 can include or be in communicationwith user input devices 30. The user input devices 30 can include, forexample, a human-machine interface (HMI) which enables a user (e.g., thedriver and/or passenger) to interact with the driver assistance system12 as understood in the art and discussed herein. The controller 14 canfurther include or be in communication with one or more storagedevice(s) 32 which can store information as discussed herein.

In one embodiment, the sensor system 16 can include proximity sensorsand optical sensors. In one embodiment, the proximity sensors include aplurality of sensors, and are configured to detect the boundary 28 ofthe road 26 or other stationary or moving objects in proximity to thesensor system 16. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, front sensors16 a in the sensor system 16 are preferably mounted externally on thefront bumper and rear sensors 16 b are mounted externally on the rearbumper of host vehicle 10. However, the sensors in the sensor system 16may be mounted on any suitable external portion of the host vehicle 10,including the front and rear quarter panels, the external mirrors or anycombination of suitable areas.

The sensor system 16 is preferably configured to be capable of detectinga boundary 28 of a lane or a road 26 or other stationary or movingobjects. However, the sensor system 16 can be any type of systemdesirable. For example, the front sensors 16 a in the sensor system 16can include a long-range radar device for detection in front of the hostvehicle 10. The front radar sensor may be configured to detect objectsat a predetermined distance (e.g., distances up to 200 m), and thus mayhave a narrow field of view angle (e.g., around) 15°. Due to the narrowfield of view angle, the long range radar may not detect all objects inthe front of the host vehicle 10. Thus, if desired, the front sensors 16a can include short-range radar devices to assist in monitoring theregion in front of the host vehicle 10. The rear sensors 16 b mayinclude short-range radar devices to assist in monitoring objects behindthe host vehicle 10. However, the sensors in the sensor system 16 can bedisposed in any position of the host vehicle 10 and may include any typeand/or combination of sensors to enable detection of a remote vehicle 10in the threat zone. In addition, the sensor system 16 may includecameras 16 b (e.g., mounted on the mirrors 35), radar sensors, photosensors or any combination thereof. Although FIG. 1 illustrates foursensor sensors 16 a and 16 b and two cameras 16 c, there can be as fewor as many sensors desirable or suitable.

Although the sensor system 16 can electronic detection devices thattransmit either electronic electromagnetic waves (e.g., radar), thesensors can be any suitable sensors that, for example, takecomputer-processed images with a digital camera and analyzes the imagesor emit lasers, as is known in the art. The sensor system 16 may becapable of detecting at least the speed, direction, yaw, accelerationand distance of the host vehicle 10 relative to the boundary 28 of theroad 26 or other stationary or moving objects. Further, the sensorsystem 16 may include object-locating sensing devices including rangesensors, such as FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) radars,pulse and FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) radars, sonar and Lidar (LightDetection and Ranging) devices, and ultrasonic devices which rely uponeffects such as Doppler-effect measurements to locate forward objects.Object-locating devices may include charged-coupled devices (CCD) orcomplementary metal oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) video image sensors, andother known camera/video image processors which utilize digitalphotographic methods to “view” forward objects including one or moreremote vehicle 10 s. The sensor system 16 is in communication with thecontroller 14, and is capable of transmitting information to thecontroller 14.

Additionally, the sensor system 16 is capable of determining thedistance from the left, right, front and rear of the vehicle 10 to aroad boundary 28 or other stationary or moving objects. For example, thesensor system 16 is capable of detecting the road boundary 28, such as acurb, lane marker, etc., or other stationary or moving objects to theleft and right of the vehicle 10. Additionally, the sensor system 16 caninclude internal sensors capable of determining the steering wheelangle, the steering wheel angular speed and the vehicle speed along theroad 26. Based on this information, the controller 14 is capable ofcalculating the relative position, relative speed, angle of the vehicle10 relative to the road boundary 28, and estimated future position ofthe host vehicle 10.

The driver assistance system 12 may include a positing system 18, suchas a GPS 36. In one embodiment the vehicle 10 receives a GPS satellitesignal. As is understood, the GPS 36 processes the GPS satellite signalto determine positional information (such as location, speed,acceleration, yaw, and direction, just to name a few) of the vehicle 10.As noted herein, the positioning system 18 is in communication with thecontroller 14, and is capable of transmitting such positionalinformation regarding the vehicle 10 to the controller 14.

The positioning system 18 also can include a storage device 34 thatstores map data 34 a. Thus, in determining the position of the vehicle10 using any of the herein described methods, devices or systems, thepositioning of the vehicle 10 may be compared to the known data storedin the storage device 34. Thus, the driver assistance system 12 mayaccurately determine the location of the host vehicle 10 on anelectronic map. The storage device 34 may also store any additionalinformation including the current or predicted vehicle 10 position andany past vehicle 10 position or any other suitable information.

The warning indicator 20 may include warning lights and/or a warningaudio output and is in communication with the controller 14. Forexample, the warning indicator 20 may include a visual display or lightindicator that flashes or illuminates the instrument cluster on theinstrument panel of the host vehicle 10, activates a heads-up display isa visual readout in an information display unit, is an audible noiseemitted from speaker, or any other suitable visual display or audio orsound indicator or combination thereof that notifies the driver orinterior occupant of the host vehicle 10 that the distance between thevehicle 10 and the road boundary 28 is below a predetermined threshold.Further, in one embodiment, the warning indicator 20 includes a visualindicator 38 or light on the housing of the external mirror 35, or anyother suitable portion of the external mirror or portion of the vehicle10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the feedback unit 22 may include tactile feedbackgenerated by the haptic feedback 24 that can be a vibration actuator inthe steering wheel, the driver seat, or any other suitable locationwithin the host vehicle 10. That is, the feedback operation can includeproviding haptic feedback 24 to a portion of an interior of the vehicle10 located proximate to the driver. For example, the feedback operationmay be a feedback force within the steering system that notifies thedriver that the steering wheel 40 should be turned in a specificdirection. Such a feedback operation does not necessarily need to alterthe trajectory of the vehicle 10 but may be a minor turn of the steeringwheel simply to notify the driver that a steering wheel operation isnecessary. The feedback unit 22 can thus provide feedback to the driverbased on a predetermined set of criteria. The feedback unit 22 isconnected to the controller 14, which is programmed to operate thefeedback unit 22 to warn the driver or control the vehicle 10.

Additionally, the feedback unit 22 may also be connected to the steeringsystem 42 of the vehicle 10, such that the controller 14 can control thesteering system 42 of the vehicle 10 based on a predetermined set ofcriteria. The feedback unit 22 can be connected to the steering wheel 40or any other suitable portion of the steering system 42. That is, thefeedback unit 22 can apply an assist force to a portion of the steeringsystem 42 of the vehicle 10 to cause movement of the vehicle 10 awayfrom the boundary 28.

Turning to FIGS. 2 to 4, the host vehicle 10 is illustrated travelingalong a road 26. As one of ordinary skill will understand, every drivermay have a different comfort level as to how close the host vehicle 10can approach a road boundary 28 (e.g., a curb, a wall, a lane marker, orother road boundary 28) when traveling along the road 26. Therefore, thedriver assistance system 12 is capable of notifying the driver oraltering the trajectory of the host vehicle 10, so as to avoid the roadboundary 28. Moreover, the host vehicle 10 may need to change thedistance to the road boundary 28 depending on a passing vehicle 10, apedestrian, a construction/work zone, a change in the road 26 (or lane)width, or any other possible scenario. Thus, it is clear that based onthe identity of the driver or certain circumstances on the road 26, thehost vehicle 10 is capable of adapting to a variety of acceptabledistances to an established road boundary 28.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one driver may be comfortable having the hostvehicle 10 approach a road boundary 28 at a distance B, while, as shownin FIGS. 2 and 4, another driver may be comfortable having the hostvehicle 10 approach a road boundary 28 at a distance A. That is, onedriver (e.g., driver B) may not be comfortable approaching the roadboundary 28 at the same distance as another driver (e.g., driver A). Inthis embodiment, driver A is generally more comfortable approaching theroad boundary 28 at a closer threshold distance 44 than driver B;however, the distances may vary along the road 26, and while one drivermay generally approach the road boundary 28 at less of a distance thananother driver, the threshold distances 44 for each driver may change atany portion along the road 26.

Thus, the controller 14 can adjust the timing of an assist force orwarning dependent upon the preferences of the driver and specificcircumstances of the road 26. In other words, the controller 14 mayactivate a tactile and/or visual warning from the warning indicator 20in the compartment of the vehicle 10 and/or alter the direction and/orspeed of the vehicle 10 based on the preferred threshold distance 44from the road boundary 28 for each vehicle 10 driver in each specificcircumstance. As shown by the arrows C, in FIGS. 2 and 4, the controller14 can alter the direction on the vehicle away from the road boundary28. This alteration of trajectory can be accomplished by turning thewheels of the host vehicle 10.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the sensor system 16 sense a road boundary 28on the left and right sides of the vehicle 10 and transmit thisinformation to the controller 14. The driver assistance system 12 canalso determine the steering wheel angle, the steering wheel angularvelocity and the vehicle 10 speed for each position along the road 26.This information is communicated to the controller 14. The controller 14calculates the relative position, relative speed, angle of the vehicle10 relative to the road boundary 28, and estimates the likely futureposition of the host vehicle 10 based on these variables.

The GPS 36 determines the latitude and longitude of the host vehicle 10and, along with the map data 34 a stored in the storage device 34, thelocation of the host vehicle 10 on a map (e.g., the road 26 and lane) isdetermined. Based on the determination of the host vehicle 10 location,a parameter is selected. That is, based on a condition, a parameter toassist a driver of the vehicle 10 when approaching the location of theroad boundary 28. The condition can be the identity of the driver,location of the host vehicle 10 relative to the road boundary 28, thespeed of the vehicle 10 angle of the vehicle 10 relative to the roadboundary 28, and/or the estimated future position of the host vehicle10. For example, in one embodiment, the controller 14 can then select aparameter based on the current location of the host vehicle 10 and thespecific driver (i.e., identity of the driver).

Additionally, the GPS 36 and the sensor system 16 are capable ofdetermining features of the road 26. For example, the GPS 36 and thesensor system 16 can determine the curvature of the road 26, thegradient of the road 26, the width of the road 26, and a presence of anobject in the road 26. In one embodiment, the sensor system 16 candetermine aspects of the road 26 based on the dimension and location andcomparison to known stored information or map data. Thus, when selectingthe parameter from a plurality of parameters, the controller 14 cancompare the feature of the road 26 to a plurality of the stored featurevalues in the plurality of parameters, when the feature of the road 26that corresponds to a predetermined stored feature of the plurality ofstored features. The features of the road 26 can be weighted, such thatone feature is weighted more than another feature. Moreover, thecontroller 14 can determine a correspondence between the feature on theroad 26 the stored feature using at least one static obstacle positionalong the road 26.

The parameter can be one or more of a distance threshold, an assistforce threshold, and a feedback force gradient. In other words, theparameter can be a distance of the host vehicle 10 to the road boundary28, the amount of torque for assist force to apply to the steeringsystem and/or a predetermined increase or decrease in the assist force.

The parameter can also be a particular segment of the road 26, thetrajectory of the host vehicle 10 during a previous driving operation ofthe host vehicle 10 on the road 26, a latitude and longitude location ofthe host vehicle 10 during a previous driving operation of the hostvehicle 10, distance information about the location of the road boundary28 with respect to the road 26 based on a previous driving operation ofthe vehicle 10 on the road 26.

In one embodiment, the parameter can be a plurality of valuescorresponding to a plurality of boundary 28 locations along the segmentof the road 26. For example, the plurality of values can be distancethresholds for a plurality of boundary 28 locations along the segment ofthe road 26, the latitude and longitude information for the plurality ofboundary 28 locations along the segment of the road 26 segment, weatherinformation for the plurality of boundary 28 locations along the segmentof the road 26, time of day information for the plurality of boundary 28locations along the segment of the road 26, a position of at least oneother vehicle 10 for the plurality of boundary 28 locations along thesegment of the road 26, traffic information for the plurality ofboundary 28 locations along the segment of the road 26, a position of atleast one static object for the plurality of boundary 28 locations alongthe segment of the road 26, a width of a lane for the plurality ofboundary 28 locations along the segment of the road 26, and a number oflanes for the plurality of boundary 28 locations along the segment ofthe road 26.

Additionally, if desired, the parameter can be a plurality ofparameters. That is, the driver assistance system 12 can store aplurality of parameters in the storage device 32. The controller 14 canselect one parameter or any combination of parameters from the pluralityof parameters.

In one embodiment, the controller 14 calculates the torque for theassist force using at least one of the distance to the boundary 28, anangle of the host vehicle 10 relative to the boundary 28, a curvature ofthe road 26, and/or using estimated values for the distance of thevehicle 10 to the road boundary 28, angle of the vehicle 10 relative tothe road boundary 28, and the estimated curvature of the road 26 at apredetermined period of time. The estimated values can be based on theGPS and the sensor system 16 or based on real time information or storedinformation. Based on at least one of these factors, the controller 14determines the amount of torque to apply to the steering wheel. Forexample, when the distance to the road boundary 28 is minimal, the angleof the car relative to the boundary 28 is high and the curvature of theroad 26 is high, the controller 14 may determine that a large assistforce (i.e., large torque) needs to be applied to the steering system.In this situation, the controller 14 would then apply a large assistforce to avoid the road boundary 28.

The parameters can be stored in one or more storage devices 32 in thedriver assistance system 12. In one embodiment, the parameter can bemanually selected by a user. For example, the driver may determine thatdriver assistance should be set such that the controller 14 will issuefeedback or apply an assist force at a predetermined distance from aroad boundary 28. The driver may manually set and store parameters usingthe user inputs.

Moreover, the parameters can change (or be manually changed) for eachdriver along a road and for each road. That is, the driver maybecomfortable at one distance from the road boundary 28 at a first portionof the road 26 and at another distance from the road boundary 28 at asecond portion of the road 26.

The parameters for each driver at each specific position along the road26 once calculated for each new position are stored in the storagedevice 32. Thus, the system is capable of learning the acceptabledriving parameters for each driver. That is, the preference of theassist force, the vehicle 10 location relative the boundary 28 and alongthe road 26, the curvature of the road 26 at each position along theroad 26, for each driver can be stored and updated on a continuousbasis.

Further, the parameter can be updated based on a driving operation ofthe vehicle 10 on the road 26 and/or based on a condition of thesteering system. The parameter can be updated based on previous roads oron previous travel along the current road 26, with respect to the road26 based on the previous driving operation of the vehicle 10 on the road26, with weather information during the previous driving operation ofthe vehicle 10 on the road 26, with a time of day during the previousdriving operation of the vehicle 10 on the road 26, with a state oftraffic state of the of the road 26 during the previous drivingoperation of the vehicle 10 on the road 26, with a position of othervehicle 10 s on the road 26 during the previous driving operation of thevehicle 10 on the road 26, with a position of static objects proximal tothe road 26 during the previous driving operation of the vehicle 10 onthe road 26, with pedestrian status during the previous drivingoperation of the vehicle 10 on the road 26.

For example, during inclement weather, at night, during high trafficsituations, or other situations, a specific driver may prefer differencedistances from a road boundary 28 than at other situations. Morespecifically, a small distance from the road boundary 28 may beacceptable during the day, in clear weather with little traffic.However, a larger boundary 28 may be preferably at night, in the rainwith significant traffic.

When traveling along the current road 26, the characteristics of aprevious road (similar to the current road 26) or the current road 26previously travelled (once or a plurality of times) and the driverpreferences along each road 26 can be used to update the parameters forthe current road 26. Moreover, any of the factors discussed herein canbe stored and updated for each driver. Thus, ensuring that the mostpreferably parameters for each driver are available for the driverassistance system 12.

Further, the parameter can be related to a particular road or aparticular segment of the road and can be stored based on latitude andlongitude of the road of segment of the road. Thus, the controller 14can identify the particular segment based on latitude and longitude andselect the parameter based on this information. Further, when the roadhas been travelled multiple times, the controller 14 can calculate theparameter based on a statistical calculation of traveling the segment ofthe road the plurality times previously. That is, the statisticalcalculation can determine the average or mean for each parameter todetermine the most preferable environment for the driver.

Thus, as the host vehicle 10 approaches a road boundary 28, the roadboundary 28 is sensed by the sensor system 16, and the controller 14determines whether the vehicle 10 is approaching the road boundary 28and the location of the road boundary 28 relative to the host vehicle10. The controller 14 determines this aspect based on a trajectory ofthe vehicle 10, the location of the host vehicle 10 relative to the roadboundary 28, or in any other suitable manner.

In one embodiment, as the host vehicle 10 approaches the road boundary28, the controller 14 determines that, based on the location of the hostvehicle 10, driver preferences, and/or a feature of the road 26, afeedback operation to assist the driver in avoiding the road boundary 28based on the selected parameter is necessary. The feature of the road 26can be any desirable feature, such as one of or a plurality of thecurvature of the road 26, the gradient of the road 26, the width of theroad 26, and a presence of an object in the road 26. Thus, whenselecting the parameter from a plurality of parameters, the controller14 can compare the feature of the road 26 to a plurality of the storedfeature values in the plurality of parameters. When the feature of theroad 26 corresponds to a predetermined stored feature of the pluralityof stored features, the controller 14 selects the appropriate parameter.The features of the road 26 can be weighted, such that one feature isweighted more than another feature. Moreover, the controller 14 candetermine a correspondence between the feature on the road 26 the storedfeature using at least one static obstacle position along the road 26.

In one embodiment, as discussed herein, the feedback operation is anassist force that is applied. That is, as the host vehicle 10 isapproaching the road boundary 28 such that the host vehicle 10 hassurpassed a distance threshold, the controller 14 determines that afeedback operation should be applied to assist the driver of the vehicle10.

In one embodiment, the controller 14 calculates an assist force as thefeedback operation. That is, the controller 14 determines, based on thelocation of the host vehicle 10, the speed of the host vehicle 10, thetrajectory of the host vehicle 10, and/or the identity of the driver,that an assist force is necessary and the preferred torque of the assistforce. The controller 14 then applies the assist force, using anelectric power steering (EPS) motor to move the vehicle 10 wheels (andthe steering wheel, if desired) to move the vehicle 10 away from theroad boundary 28. In other words, in this embodiment, the feedbackoperation includes applying an assist force when a distance of the hostvehicle 10 to the road boundary 28 is less than a distance threshold 44.Once the vehicle 10 is farther from the road boundary 28 that thedistance threshold, the controller 14 terminates the assist force.

Alternatively, the controller 14 can cause a warning to be communicatedto the driver. The warning can be a tactile warning through the steeringwheel, the driver's seat or in any other suitable manner. Moreover, thewarning can be a visual warning through a light or other device in theinstrument panel or other portion of the vehicle 10, or the warning maybe an auditory warning. The warning may be alone or in addition to theassist force applied by the EPS and can be any combination of tactile,visual and auditory.

As shown in FIG. 5, the calculation of the assist force is also used inlearning the specific preferences of a parameter for a driver. Thisinformation is stored in a storage device 32 for later use for aspecific driver.

FIG. 6 illustrates one procedure for applying the driver assistancesystem 12. Initially, the sensor system 16 determine the location of theroad boundary 28 relative to the host vehicle 10. This information istransmitted to the controller 14. The steering wheel angle androtational speed are then determined, along with the speed of thevehicle 10. The relative position and relative speed and angle to theroad boundary 28 are calculated and/or estimated to determine the hostvehicle 10's location relative to the road boundary 28. The controller14 then determines whether it is the first time the vehicle 10 has beenon the current road 26. If it is the first time the vehicle 10 has beenon the road 26, the controller 14 estimates the road curvature andwidth, and then selects and loads a parameter based on a road 26 havingsimilar characteristics. If it is not the vehicle 10's first time on theroad 26, the controller 14 selects and loads a parameter.

Further, as discussed above, if it is the host vehicle 10's first timetraveling along the road 26, the characteristics of a previous road(similar to the current road 26) and the driver preferences along theprevious road can be used to update the parameter for the current road.In this embodiment, parameter is selected or loaded prior to or whiletraveling along the current road.

The controller 14 then calibrates the assist force for the particularsegment or portion of the road, and determines the trajectory of thehost vehicle 10. The controller 14 can then determine the assist forcenecessary to move the vehicle 10 away from the boundary 28 withoutmaking the vehicle 10 driver and/or other occupants uncomfortable.

Moreover, the controller 14 can determine the sequence of the driver'ssteering force against the assist force and adjust the assist forceparameter in the storage device 32 using this information. The newassist force, along with the parameters used to calculate the assistforce can be stored in the storage device 32 for further use on the roadat other times.

Then, as discussed above, the controller 14 can apply a feedbackoperation to assist the driver in avoiding the road boundary 28 ormerely so that the driver is comfortable. The feedback operation can bethe assist force or merely a warning to the driver.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the assist force can vary along the road 26.For example, the arrow indicated with X illustrates a distance along theroad 26, and A indicates the host vehicle 10 position on the right sideof the road 26, and A′ indicates the host vehicle 10 position on theleft side of the road 26. Thus, for predetermined positions along theroad 26 the threshold distance can vary for each driver. Accordingly,based on at least one condition of a plurality of conditions (e.g., thedistance along the road 26, the driver, the speed of the vehicle 10, thetrajectory of the vehicle 10), the threshold distance 44 can beadjusted. Moreover, as the threshold distance 44 is adjusted the assistforce can be adjusted by the controller 14. That is, the assist forcemay be reduced for certain locations along a road 26 or at certainvehicle 10 speeds. In one embodiment, for a specific driver, the driverassistance system 12 can store a table of threshold values in thestorage device 32. See e.g., Table 1.

TABLE 1 PARAMETER TABLE X[m] Threshold Distance 5 0.4 10 0.5 15 0.6 200.7 25 0.7 30 0.9 35 0.6

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, as the host vehicle 10 approaches the roadboundary 28 the assist force increases. That is, when the host vehicle10 is significantly beyond the threshold, the controller 14 can apply asignificant assist force to the steering wheel; however, when the hostvehicle 10 is at or not significantly beyond the threshold distance 44,the controller 14 can apply a slight or small assist force. Thus, thetrajectory of the host vehicle 10 is not significantly altered whensignificant alteration is not necessary.

The assist force can also be applied based on a previous user operation.That is, the assist force can be calculated using a predetermined periodof time of a speed of a steering operation during previous drivingmaneuvers. For example, the time the steering is turned and angle thatthe steering wheel is turned in previous driving operations can be usedto determine the assist force. When the speed of the steering operationduring previous driving maneuvers increases, a predetermined period oftime of applying the assist force is decreased. Additionally, theaverage speed of the driver operation (i.e., turn of the steering wheel)can be estimated by usual driving characteristics when the driver driveson a road 26 that is similar to the current road 26 with or without theassist force. Thus, the controller 14 can apply the assist force basedprevious driver characteristics.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the gradient Q of the assist force to thesteering system can be adjusted for each specific driver of the hostvehicle 10. That is, the controller sets the maximum assist torque foreach driver based on the known characteristics of the driver and thethreshold distance from the road boundary 28. That is, as specificallyillustrated in FIG. 9, the gradient of the assist torque can be changedor modified the closer the host vehicle 10 is to the road boundary 28(i.e., the position R of the host vehicle 10 relative to the roadboundary 28) and the maximum amount of assist force P to be delivered tothe steering system based on individual driver preference.

Further, as discussed above, based on the distance beyond the thresholddistance 44 and the driver preference, the controller 14 may learn andadjust for each driver. That is, the preference of the assist force, thevehicle 10 location relative the boundary 28 and along the road 26, thecurvature of the road 26 at each position along the road 26, for eachdriver can be stored and updated on a continuous basis.

Thus, as will be understood, the driver assistance system 12 asdescribed herein will provide feedback to the driver based on thedistance to the boundary 28 and a driver's individual skill andpreference, and other desired parameters or factor. Accordingly, thedriver experience and comfort level while driver along roads that mayhave significant traffic, narrow lanes or obstacles along the side ofthe road 26 will be improved.

The storage devices and GPS are conventional components that are wellknown in the art. Since storage devices and GPS are well known in theart, these structures will not be discussed or illustrated in detailherein. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that the components can be any type of structure and/orprogramming that can be used to carry out the present invention.

In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term“comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to beopen ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features,elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not excludethe presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups,integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words havingsimilar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and theirderivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” or “portion” when usedin the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or aplurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe the aboveembodiment(s), the following directional terms “front”, “rear”, “left”,and “right” as well as any other similar directional terms refer tothose directions of a vehicle equipped with the Method and System ofAssisting a Driver of a Vehicle. Accordingly, these terms, as utilizedto describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to avehicle equipped with the Method and System of Assisting a Driver of aVehicle.

The term “detect” as used herein to describe an operation or functioncarried out by a component, a section, a device or the like includes acomponent, a section, a device or the like that does not requirephysical detection, but rather includes determining, measuring,modeling, predicting or computing or the like to carry out the operationor function.

The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section orpart of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructedand/or programmed to carry out the desired function.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location ororientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/ordesired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting eachother can have intermediate structures disposed between them. Thefunctions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. Thestructures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in anotherembodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in aparticular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is uniquefrom the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, alsoshould be considered a separate description of further inventions by theapplicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodiedby such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodimentsaccording to the present invention are provided for illustration only,and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A method of assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving a road, themethod comprising: obtaining a feature of a road using a sensor;selecting, via a controller, a parameter from among a plurality ofstored parameters based on a correspondence between the feature of theroad and a predetermined stored feature; determining, via a controller,whether the vehicle is approaching a boundary of the road; and providinga feedback operation to assist the driver in avoiding the boundary ofthe road, the feedback operation based on the selected parameter.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the feature is a curvature of the road. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the feature is a gradient of the road. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the feature is a width of the road. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the feature is a presence of an object inthe road.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined storedfeature is one of a plurality of stored features in the plurality ofparameters, and the selecting the parameter further comprises comparingthe feature of the road to the plurality of stored features andselecting the parameter when the feature of the road corresponds to thepredetermined stored feature.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein each ofthe plurality of stored features is are weighted.
 8. The method of claim6, wherein correspondence between the predetermined stored feature ofthe plurality of stored features is based on static obstacle positionsalong the road.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein correspondence betweenthe predetermined stored feature of the plurality of stored features isdetermined by calculating a relative position of a static obstacle inthe road.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating theparameter based on the feature of the road, and selecting the updatedparameter before traveling a second road.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the parameter includes values that are related to a particularsegment of the road.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the valuesrelated to the particular segment of the road are latitude and longitudeof the particular segment of the road.
 13. The method of claim 1,wherein the parameter includes a distance threshold, and the providing afeedback operation includes applying a feedback force when a distance ofthe vehicle to the road boundary is less than the distance threshold.14. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the feedback operationincludes providing haptic feedback to a portion of an interior of thevehicle located proximate to the driver.
 15. The method of claim 1,wherein the providing the feedback operation includes applying torque ona portion of a steering system of the vehicle to cause movement of thevehicle away from the boundary.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein theboundary is at least one of a wall and a curb proximal to the road. 17.The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary is a lane marker on theroad.